And, for many, these IDs are very difficult to secure. People have fought and died for the right to vote. Voter ID laws prevent people from exercising this right. Lack of access to ID cards impacts people even in states without voter ID laws. Accessing a photo ID is much more challenging for the young, the elderly, people of color, and people with low incomes. If you care about voter participation and making an impact at the polls in your district, getting IDs can not only change the electorate, but changes lives.
Voter ID laws are laws that say that a voter must show some form of identification to be able to vote. The exact form of ID necessary to vote varies from state to state. Those who advocate for voter ID laws claim they prevent in-person voter fraud, but this is a myth.
In person voter fraud is extremely rare. In a study , only 31 cases were found out of more than 1 billion ballots cast in elections from And those 31 included any and all credible claims, not just prosecutions and convictions. In reality, voter ID laws are a powerful form of voter suppression. Much like poll taxes and literacy tests of the Jim Crow days, these laws are created to prevent specifically targeted populations from voting.
Voter ID laws target eligible voters who are less likely to have IDs. In reality, this means these laws suppress the vote from elderly, low-income and voters of color:. For many Americans, an ID seems like an easy thing to obtain. Everyone has one, right? Out of nearly countries across the world, at least have some form of national ID or are implementing one, according to the political scientist Magdalena Krajewska.
In the American psyche, however, a national ID card conjures images of an all-knowing government, its agents stopping people on the street and demanding to see their papers. The idea is presumed to be so toxic that not a single member of Congress is currently carrying its banner. Even those advocates who like the concept in theory will discuss its political prospects only with a knowing chuckle, the kind that signals that the questioner is a bit crazy.
Admittedly, this is probably not the best time to propose a new national ID. Yet public opposition to a national ID has never been as strong as political leaders assume. Studies over the years have found that as many as one in 10 citizens lacks the documentation needed to vote. Those who do are disproportionately Black, Hispanic, poor, or over the age of The Atlantic poll suggests that the gap remains: 9 percent of respondents said they lacked a government-issued ID, although a much smaller share 2 percent said that was the reason they did not vote in Read: How voter-ID laws discriminate.
The United States gives every citizen a Social Security card with a unique nine-digit number, but the paper cards lack a photograph. Opposition to national ID remains among groups on the libertarian right, such as the Cato Institute , as well as civil-liberties advocates on the left, such as the ACLU.
Even if ID is offered for free, voters must incur numerous costs such as paying for birth certificates to apply for a government-issued ID. Underlying documents required to obtain ID cost money , a significant expense for lower-income Americans.
The travel required is often a major burden on people with disabilities, the elderly, or those in rural areas without access to a car or public transportation. In Texas, some people in rural areas must travel approximately miles to reach the nearest ID office. Studies show that as many as 11 percent of eligible voters do not have government-issued photo ID. That percentage is even higher for seniors, people of color, people with disabilities, low-income voters, and students.
Many citizens find it hard to get government photo IDs, because the underlying documentation like birth certificates the ID one needs to get ID is often difficult or expensive to come by. Minority voters disproportionately lack ID. States exclude forms of ID in a discriminatory manner. Texas allows concealed weapons permits for voting, but does not accept student ID cards. Voter ID laws are enforced in a discriminatory manner.
Voter ID laws reduce turnout among minority voters. Several studies, including a GAO study, have found that photo ID laws have a particularly depressive effect on turnout among racial minorities and other vulnerable groups, worsening the participation gap between voters of color and whites. Although there is no statistical proof that this is, in fact, an issue about which the nation should be concerned, the vote fraud mantra is said so often, almost robotically, that some people have unthinkingly begun to believe that the issue is real.
But studies have shown that the actual instance of in person voter fraud is extremely rare. And this is very logical — the penalties associated with voter fraud, usually felonies, far outweigh the impact that an individual or group of people might effect. To truly impact an election would probably require substantial numbers of people somehow holding themselves out as voters that they are not - which would increase almost exponentially the exposure of the scheme.
No such widespread schemes have been detected. One expert found 31 cases out of more than one billion ballots cast in the United States form to Instead of ensuring the integrity of the voting process they actually do the opposite: by keeping certain groups of people away from the polls.
Alabama requires voters to present photo ID while voting. A voter can obtain a free photo ID from the Alabama Secretary of State , a county registrar's office, or a mobile location, which changes daily.
The mobile location schedule can be accessed here. Voters in Alaska must present a valid form of identification at the polls. The identification does not have to include a photo. If an election official knows the identity of the voter, the official can waive the identification requirement unless it is a first-time voter who registered without providing identification. In Arizona, a voter must present some form of identification at the polls.
The identification does not necessarily need to include a photo. A voter can either present a photo ID that includes his or her name and registered address, or two forms of non-photo ID that include the voter's name and registered address.
Arkansas has a photo ID requirement for voting purposes. It must be issued by "the United States, the State of Arkansas, or an accredited postsecondary educational institution in the State of Arkansas. According to the Office of the California Secretary of State, "in most cases, California voters are not required to show identification at their polling place.
Acceptable forms of identification include driver's licenses, utility bills, or any document sent by a government agency. Colorado voters must provide a valid form of identification if they choose to vote in person. Voters may also need to return a photocopy of their ID with their ballots if they are voting by mail for the first time.
Voters in Connecticut must present some form of identification at the polls, though a photo is not required. First-time voters who registered by mail must present either valid photo ID or a current document such as a bill or check with their name and address when voting in elections with federal candidates. All other voters must present either a social security card or other ID showing either name and address, name and signature, or name and photo.
The District of Columbia Board of Elections requires voters who submitted their voter registration application by mail or online without one of the following documents to present one the first time they vote: a copy of a government-issued photo ID showing name and address, a government-issued document showing name and address, or a utility bill, bank statement, government check, or paycheck showing name and address issued within the past 90 days.
All Delaware voters are asked to provide identification at the polls. Valid identification includes a Delaware driver's license or state ID, a signed social security card, or another document that identifies the person by photo or signature. A photo is not required. Voters who do not present proof of identity can "sign an affidavit of affirmation that the voter is the person listed on the election district record," according to Delaware Code. Voters in Florida are required to present photo and signature identification on Election Day.
If a voter's photo ID does not display his or her signature, he or she will need to supply a second form of identification that does. Photo identification is required when voting in Georgia. Hawaii law states, "Every person shall provide identification if so requested by a precinct official. Forms of acceptable I. In order to vote in Idaho, voters must present valid photo identification or sign an affidavit. If a voter is unable to present an accepted ID, he or she is allowed to sign a personal identification affidavit swearing to his or her identity.
After signing the affidavit, the voter is issued a regular ballot. Illinois does not require voters to present identification while voting, in most cases. Indiana law requires voters to present an Indiana or U. The ID must either be current or have expired sometime after the date of the last general election.
Certain voters can claim exemption from the law. Iowa requires voters to present identification while voting. Voters who do not have a photo ID can obtain one for free by mail. If a voter doesn't have photo ID, they may have another voter vouch for his or her identity.
The voter can also provide other documents verifying his or her identity and residence. In order to vote on Election Day in Kansas, a valid form of photo identification is required. A photo ID does not need to have an expiration date, but, if it does have an expiration date, it must not have expired at the time of voting. Republicans are now turning their focus to a constitutional amendment that would go straight to voters for approval.
But understanding the effects of voter ID laws is complicated. While the political debate often devolves into shouting matches about security and suppression, research into ID requirements has yielded a contradictory array of results. Voter ID laws potentially have small negative effects on net turnout — but the research is muddy, allowing politicians to cherry-pick data or make broad generalizations.
Plus, some experts said, turnout might not be an appropriate way to think about something as fundamental as voting rights. The justification for tightening voter ID rules is to prevent fraud. But significant voter fraud, especially voter impersonation, is virtually nonexistent. State Rep. Seth Grove R.
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